[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 51 (Monday, March 25, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E338]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF URNER'S HOME APPLIANCE STORE IN 
                        BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. KEVIN McCARTHY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 25, 2019

  Mr. McCARTHY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 100th 
anniversary of Urner's Home Appliance Store.
  From his humble beginnings selling cookware off the back of a bicycle 
in the 1910s, founder David E Urner's entrepreneurial dreams were 
realized when he opened Urner & Janes in the summer of 1919. With a 
company mantra of ``providing an easier way of living,'' Urner & Janes 
quickly became the premier store in the Central Valley for modern 
appliances In fact, Mr Urner was the first person to offer innovative 
appliances like electric refrigerators and the ``wonder'' machine--an 
automatic washing machine years ahead of its time--for commercial sale 
in Bakersfield His vision and relentless work ethic truly laid the 
foundation for Urner's to become the fixture in the community it is 
today.
  When you look at family-owned companies that survive the test of 
time, one trait they all share is their adaptability, and Urner's is no 
exception. Largely unable to acquire metal-based appliances during 
World War II because of the war production efforts, Urner's had the 
foresight to begin selling toys and offering an appliance repair 
service. Fortunately, this knack for understanding the market extended 
well beyond David, and the company, now managed by the fourth 
generation of Urners, who have experienced so much success that they 
were forced to move from their original downtown location into a larger 
52,000 square foot superstore to keep up with demand. Urner's also 
recently expanded to the mattress market, opening two Z's Please Sleep 
Center locations and becoming their flagship mattress destination for 
the entire state of California.
  Even more noteworthy than Urner's commercial success is their 
boundless care and support of the Bakersfield community. From 
championing local organizations to simply treating every person that 
passes through the doors of one of their stores with kindness and 
respect, Urner's is the quintessential example of how a family owned 
and operated business should be run. On behalf of the 23rd 
Congressional District I want to congratulate Urner's on its 100-year 
anniversary, and I look forward to another 100 years of Urner's 
prospering in the Bakersfield community.

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